Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the jobs created by initiatives funded by him under the jobs initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27330/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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There are a number of facets to the Jobs Initiative as it relates to my Department. Firstly there is the provision of an additional 15,900 training and education places across a range of programmes with a special focus on the unemployed. This does not involve direct job creation.

My Department is now funding the provision of over 116,000 training places this year for the unemployed through FÁS, Skillnets and the Labour Market Activation Fund. In addition, there are now 172,000 places available in the Further Education Sector and 162,000 places available in the Higher Education Sector which the unemployed may also access. At the conclusion of these training and education programmes, participants will be better equipped to progress into further education, training, higher education or directly into employment.

There is also a job creation facet to the Department's programme of school building projects. In relation to the estimated number of jobs generated in this area, I would refer the Deputy to Minister Quinn's answer of Tuesday 17th May 2011 to Questions 169 and 168.